NEWS - Second Generation URSA Mini Pro 4.6K Camera

Next generation URSA Mini Pro camera features new electronics, Super 35 4.6K HDR image sensor, 15 stops of dynamic range, 300 fps high frame rate shooting, Blackmagic RAW and more!

Fremont, California, USA - March 5, 2019- Today Blackmagic Design announced the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2, a second generation URSA Mini Pro camera featuring fully redesigned electronics and a new Super 35mm 4.6K image sensor with 15 stops of dynamic range that combine to support high frame rate shooting at up to 300 frames per second. In addition, URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 supports Blackmagic RAW and features a new USB-C expansion port for direct recording to external disks.

Preorder available now: the URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 for $5,995 - B&HPhotoVideo.com
Expected availability: Apr 2019

The new URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 is a dramatic advancement over the original model as it now features entirely new electronics for higher speed processing. Also included is a new Super 35mm 4.6K image sensor that captures up to 4608 x 2592 pixels with 15 stops of latitude at up to 3200 ISO. This allows customers to record full sensor 4.6K images at up to 120 frames per second, windowed 4K DCI at up 150 frames per second, and windowed 1080 HD at an amazing 300 frames per second. That makes URSA Mini Pro 4.6K G2 ideal for capturing stylized fast action documentary work, nature photography, sports and more.

Blackmagic Design URSA Broadcast - in depth look

Blackmagic URSA Broadcast camera

On the 2nd of February 2018, Blackmagic Design announced a new high end professional broadcast camera. The URSA Broadcast camera for ENG and programming work as well for studio work and live production. A very versatile camera which I'm very exited about. It's completely tailored to be used in combination with b4 2/3 inch broadcast lenses, by reducing the size of the sensor to 13mm x 7mm so you won't have to deal with crop factor or magnification of the field of view. Of course you won't have the same depth of field as with a full frame camera, but in news- and events coverage or when shooting TV shows this has never been an issue. And from experience I know that with enough zoom and using a wide aperture you can still get some nice depth of field shots. This is what Blackmagic has to say about the sensor: "The image sensor is designed for both HD and Ultra HD so you get amazing texture and detail, accurate skin tones, vibrant color and high dynamic range video, all without the need for post production". So without further ado, let's have a look at some of the key features.

The New ARRI ALEXA Mini

The new ARRI ALEXA Mini

Interesting news from Arri today. They just announced the new ALEXA Mini, a versatile additional tool in the ARRI ALEXA camera range, combining a compact form factor with the same ALEV III sensor and unrivalled image quality as all other ALEXA models. Designed for specialized shot-making, the ALEXA Mini features a super-lightweight carbon body and titanium PL mount, frame rates of 0.75-200 fps, in-camera recording of ARRIRAW and ProRes (including 4K UHD) and state-of-the-art integrated functions.

The ALEXA Mini’s camera body has been designed with new-generation brushless gimbals, multicopters and other specialized rigs in mind. It is compact enough in the lens direction to allow the use of standard PL mount lenses even on lightweight and space-constrained rigs, such as gyro-stabilized aerial systems.

NEW - Mini TX Backbone For Radian's Wireless HD Video Set

Radian Pro at work

Sometimes you come across a product that works so good, that you can't imagine it to become any better. I've felt that way about the Radian Pro (review here) from Camera Motion Research, which is used to transmit an uncompressed HD video signal wirelessly through the air. A perfect tool for filmmakers who need to be able to freely move their camera through space while using it in combination with a gyro stabilizer like the MōVI as well as other equipment like a crane, stabiliser or Steadicam. All of these devices share a common enemy: cables. But even if you're not using such a device, it's still an extremely handy accessory on any film set to provide the director, producer or client with a direct feed of what the camera is capturing without any limitations. The Radian transmitter can be placed on any camera thanks to CMR's backbones. It provides several mounting options and also enables you to add a lightweight USB style battery to directly provide power to the transmitter for several hours. You will forget it's even on the camera while filming.

It's more common then ever for filmmakers to use smaller cameras with great capabilities on productions as an 'B' or even as an 'A' camera. Camera Motion Research, the company behind the Radian Pro and Radian Multicast wireless sets, has developed a new Mini TX Backbone which is the perfect lightweight match for any DSLR or similar type of camera. It enables you to mount the wireless transmitter with installed battery in a very discrete and lightweight way, without compromising on ease of use or performance.

DSLR Camera Simulator

DSLR camera simulator

Always wanted to know what different kind of camera settings will do to your pictures? Here's a really cool simulator to let you play with different settings and see their outcome without having to leave this page.

REVIEW - SEL1018 Sony E-mount Super Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

Sony 10-18mm f/4 OSS Alpha E-mount Wide-Angle Zoom Lens

It's been a while since Sony announced their new batch of E-mount lenses, but today I'm finally able to do a hands-on review of the much anticipated Sony 10-18mm super wide-angle E-mount zoom lens, compatible with the Alpha NEX cameras and NEX Camcorders. Now, I won't be doing this review from a scientific point of view. I'm a photographer and filmmaker and personally care more about how it is to work with in the field and seeing the results created with my own camera and settings, then talking about specs and lab-results. So if you were hoping to see some nice colour boards, diagrams, graphs and lab experiments, I'm very sorry to disappoint you! Luckily there are many sites out there that can show you exactly that and they can certainly be interesting to see. A comparison (with video) between this 10-18mm ultra wide lens and the Sony 16mm pancake lens with VCL-ECU1 ultra wide converter will be posted soon.

First impressions

SEL1018 in use on the Blackbird stabilizer

When I opened the box and took out the lens, I was pleasantly surprised with how light-weight the lens actually is. It weighs only 225g. This is perfect for using it on a Sony Alpha NEX Mirrorless Digital Camera and even better for using it on a NEX-FS100 or NEX-FS700 in combination with a handheld stabilizer / Steadicam.

The second surprise was the build quality. Except for the lens hood, there's little plastic parts to be found. The zoom and focus rings operate very smoothly, but unfortunately there are no markings on the focus ring and it doesn't have stops. However, it works and responds much better then the focus ring on the Sony 18-200mm NEX lens, which feels a bit more electronic-ish. When using the zoom ring to go to 10mm ultra wide, the lens will extend slightly. This is the opposite of what you might expect normally. The drawback of this, is that the lens will retract a bit when mounting the lens cap when you're in full wide. The lens is quite small when you compare it to a similar lens like the Tokina 12-24mm f/4 lens and it's only half the weight. The lens has a filter thread in front, so you can add a 62mm Variable Neutral Density filter or 62mm UV filter if you want. An option that was seriously lacking when using the ultra wide converter with the 16mm pancake lens.

Sample images
Now before talking further about specs and performance of this lens, I'm going to share some sample images I took with this lens on a Sony NEX mirrorless digital camera.

REVIEW - Radian Pro Wireless HD Video

Radian Pro Wireless HD Video From Camera Motion Research

A few weeks ago Camera Motion Research, the manufacturer of the critically acclaimed Blackbird stabilizer (review here), launched their professional wireless HD video set for the US market and now they also made a version available for Europe! I've had the great opportunity to try it out the last couple of days and I'm happy to be able to share my experiences with you.

Radian Pro Wireless HD Video Set

The CMR Radian wireless HD video set is manufactured with Amimon WHDI professional quality chip sets for best uncompressed resolutions and frame rates up to full 1080P(60). The system has near zero latency and line-of-sight range of over 300 feet (90 meters)! A connection between the Radian transmitter and receiver is established in just a few seconds and it automatically selects the best channel to use. Even if you have never used a wireless system before, you will be up and running in no-time.

Here's a quick video showing how long it takes for the Radian Pro wireless video system to link the transmitter to the receiver. A longer video demonstration with the system in action will be added at a later point in time.

The Radian system is available in two flavours. The Radian Pro unicast for connecting one transmitter to one receiver and the Radian MC multicast for connecting one transmitter to up to 4 receivers simultaneously. The one I'm reviewing here is the unicast version. The system is shipped with many different parts. You'll receive HDMI and USB power cables, remote, power adapter and of course the Radian transmitter and receiver. All perfectly packed with a quick start guide. In order to be able to use the system you will need some kind of power and mounting solution for your camera and monitor, and that's what we're going to discuss now. So please take some time to (re)fill your favourite coffee mug and I'll wait here for you to return.

Television Studio Camera - Update

The camera set is finally complete!

A couple of weeks ago I found this great Philips television studio camera. When picking up the camera I learned that it had been used till last summer and had to go when the studio changed all of their equipment to HD. Ever since HD became the standard I knew I had to be on the lookout for these cameras to pop up which isn't as easy as it may sound.

Update - See the camera in action!

NEW GoPro HERO3+ Cameras, Mounts, and Accessories

GoPro has announced their new and improved HERO3+ action cameras, available for pre-order, in two models with several new accessories!

Both the HERO3+ Black Edition and HERO3+ Silver Edition cameras are 20% smaller then the original HERO3 and their batteries last 25% longer. They have improved wireless performance (faster WI-Fi) when sending footage to your mobile device, an ultra-wide-angle glass lens and they are both compatible with the new LCD Touch BacPac, the new Battery BacPac, and the Wi-Fi Remote (which is included standard with the Black model).

Wireless HD Video From CMR

Radian Wireless HD Video From CMR

Camera Motion Research, the company from North Carolina that brought us the Blackbird stabiliser, has added a very interesting new product to their line up. The CMR Radian wireless HD video set. Manufactured with Amimon WHDI professional quality chip sets for best uncompressed resolutions and frame rates up to full 1080P(60), near zero latency, and line-of-sight range over 300 feet!

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera ProRes Files Released!

Thanks to John Brawley, we can all play around with some ungraded ProRes files from the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. Lenses used: Olympus 14-35mm, the fantastic Olympus 7-14mm F2.0 ultra wide angle lens and the SLR Magic 35mm f/1.4.

We've been waiting for this for some time now and we are finally able to get some footage in to our editing systems and give it a go!

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - Now Shipping!

Blackmagic Design just send out an email update regarding their Blackmagic Production Camera 4K (not shipping yet, they need more time) and the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera. They say it's now shipping!

Further more, today the price of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera with EF mount and Blackmagic Cinema Camera with MFT mount have been reduced to only: $1,995 ($1000 instant saving)!

Quick Video Demo - New GoPro App in Action: Control, View, Share

Yesterday the new GoPro app became available and I decided to make a quick video, demonstrating the new view and share functions of the app!

GoPro Hero 3 Silver edition Camera - Cycling Video

The GoPro Hero3 mounted on my bicycle

I went cycling yesterday evening and captured the bike ride with the GoPro Hero3 Silver Edition Camera using the Handlebar/Seatpost Pole Mount.

I love what this little action camera is capable of and I'm working on a review which I'm hopefully be able to publish in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can watch some of the footage I filmed in the beautiful city of Alkmaar.

Good News - Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

Update: Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera - Now Shipping!

I've been very interested in the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera from the first moment it was announced at NAB earlier this year. Like everyone else, I was afraid that this little camera, just like the newly announced Blackmagic 4K Cinema Camera, would be on back order for a long time, since customer deliveries of Blackmagic's first camera (the EF mount version) started about 6 months after pre-declared shipping dates due to production issues. That's why many filmmakers have been very anxious to find out wether or not this little Pocket camera would be shipping in time.

Tulip Fields of Holland - NEX-5N Pictures

Typical Dutch landscape with the windmill in the background

Last weekend I took some pictures of the tulip fields in Noord-Holland. All pictures were made using a Sony NEX-5N with E-mount 18-200mm lens. I love what this little camera (more lens then camera actually!) is capable of and it's an absolute joy to work with.

NEW Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge - Review & Video

Vinten welcomes a new tripod (center) to their popular Vision blue range

Introduction

In 2011 Vinten released the Vision blue tripod (review here) which is aimed at the top end corporate market and for professional broadcasters looking for true Vinten performance and quality support for their lightweight camcorders. The Vision blue became very popular in no time and they actually sold faster then Vinten could produce them and they were selling like hotcakes and it became difficult to find them in stock anywhere. Apparently filmmakers around the globe had been patiently waiting for a tripod that incorporates all the bells and whistles you'll find on higher range Vinten products, but now specially tailored for their professional lightweight camcorders and fully accessorised DSLR's weighting between 4.6 to 11 lb (2.1 to 5 kg). People got to know about the great capabilities of the Vision blue tripod and began to ask for the same performance quality of the Vision blue, but with a higher load capacity. Vinten listened and released the Vision blue5 at the beginning of 2012, to support cameras ranging from 12.1 to 26.5 lb (5.5 to 12 kg). Word kept spreading and a new market surfaced. Asking for the now famous Vision blue tripod range quality, but this time for a slightly different (in between) payload capacity. That's why Vinten decided to add a new tripod to their popular Vision blue range: the Vinten Vision blue3! Ideal for today's intermediate weight and highly accessorized camcorders ranging from 6.6 to 14.6 lb (3.0 to 6.6 kg).

Watch the video to see it in action: Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge in Amsterdam

NEW Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge - Review & Video

Vinten welcomes a new tripod (center) to their popular Vision blue range

Introduction

In 2011 Vinten released the Vision blue tripod (review here) which is aimed at the top end corporate market and for professional broadcasters looking for true Vinten performance and quality support for their lightweight camcorders. The Vision blue became very popular in no time and they actually sold faster then Vinten could produce them and they were selling like hotcakes and it became difficult to find them in stock anywhere. Apparently filmmakers around the globe had been patiently waiting for a tripod that incorporates all the bells and whistles you'll find on higher range Vinten products, but now specially tailored for their professional lightweight camcorders and fully accessorised DSLR's weighting between 4.6 to 11 lb (2.1 to 5 kg). People got to know about the great capabilities of the Vision blue tripod and began to ask for the same performance quality of the Vision blue, but with a higher load capacity. Vinten listened and released the Vision blue5 at the beginning of 2012, to support cameras ranging from 12.1 to 26.5 lb (5.5 to 12 kg). Word kept spreading and a new market surfaced. Asking for the now famous Vision blue tripod range quality, but this time for a slightly different (in between) payload capacity. That's why Vinten decided to add a new tripod to their popular Vision blue range: the Vinten Vision blue3! Ideal for today's intermediate weight and highly accessorized camcorders ranging from 6.6 to 14.6 lb (3.0 to 6.6 kg).

Watch the video to see it in action: Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge in Amsterdam

Video - Blackbird on the Steadicam Merlin Arm and Vest

Here's a short video demonstration I made with the Sony FS100 showing the Blackbird stabilizer on the Steadicam Merlin arm & vest. The 'behind the scenes' footage was captured using a Sony NEX-5N.

You can mount the Blackbird stabilizer directly on the Steadicam arm and vest using the standard Merlin arm post. For this video I've used the optional Z-post (review of the Z-post) from Camera Motion Research, because it gives you more clearance between the arm and the stabilizer.

New GoPro HERO3 Action Camera (White, Silver & Black Edition)

New HERO3 Action Camera & Accessories announced by GoPro

<< Now in stock at B&H! GoPro HERO3: Silver Edition Camera - $299.99 >>

GoPro recently announced their most advanced GoPro ever, the HERO3 action camera with several new accessories. The new GoPro will be available in three versions. The HERO3 White Edition, HERO3 Silver Edition and the HERO3 Black edition. All HERO3 models are 25% lighter and 30% smaller then the original model they are replacing and have less lens distortion, improved sharpness, a redesigned audio system and are Wi-Fi enabled. And with the 3.5mm mic adapter you can connect any external 3.5mm microphone to your HERO3 camera.